I am a noisy person. Not just noise that I create by talking, or singing in some cases, but I need noise at almost all times. When I get home from work, I turn on the TV. Not to watch, but to have something on in the background. (I usually put it on the Food Network). I play music all day at work. What kind of music? Usually classic rock or 90's music. I'm not really a fan of any of the Top 40 that gets played these days. It's not really music so much as it's computer generated sound. The only time I don't have noise in the background is when I am reading. (And for those of you who haven't noticed, all my post titles are actually song titles as well).
My favorite meal is steak and lobster. My favorite thing to chop is onions, although sometimes I get carried away and end up bleeding. My favorite song is Patience by Guns N' Roses. Actually it's one of my favorite songs, there are many songs that could be labelled as my favorite. My favorite color is red. My kitchen is red. I have a red stand mixer, with a matching blender and immersion blender. My favorite dessert is creme brulee. My favorite time is 1:23 am. My favorite day is my birthday, which is strange because...
One of my biggest fears is aging. Not so much the part where I get older, but the part where I will look older. Since I was sixteen I have been using anti-aging skin care. I moisturize like a fiend as well. I use anti-wrinkle eye cream, lotions with elastin, and most importantly sunscreen. The fastest way to age your face is to tan it. Even in the winter I use sunscreen on my face. (My face moisturizer and my foundation both have SPF 15).
Yesterday I made an offhand comment to someone I have known for a while about how old I am. He replied "You're only 25? I thought you were older". Kill me now. If I look older than my 25, how am I going to look at 35??? At this point I was considering it might be time to look into a face lift.
I sometimes curse being born a woman. Men have it so easy. Before bed they brush their teeth and that's it. (At least I'm hoping they do). I have a 15 minute routine involving make up remover, cleanser, moisturizer... And how about getting ready to go out somewhere? Wash, dry, product-ify, and straighten my hair. Then apply my face. This takes a long time. (And costs a small fortune since I'm addicted to MAC). If I was a guy I would shave my head, and I could be out the door in 5 minutes. Not to mention they age like scotch and get better in time. (Not that I know what aged scotch tastes like, I'm just using the reference).
Speaking of men who age beautifully... Bruce Willis. In a moment of derangement on the weekend I went into WalMart (I know, I know... I hate them), and picked up a couple cheap DVDs starring Bruce Willis. And then made it Bruce Willis week at my place and am watching Bruce Willis movies all week.
You're welcome ladies.
Back to my depression from yesterday's aging comment. I didn't need to take any sort of pill to make myself feel better, because I discovered that butter and Bruce Willis will do the trick. For dinner I turned to the ultimate in comfort food... Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
So this post isn't too long, I will put the recipe in the comments section. The gist of this dish is beef sauteed in butter and oil, and then served in a sauce made from cream, butter and my new addiction; mushrooms sauteed in butter. I tell you, try these mushrooms and you will be making them all the time. I love them, and up until about 3 weeks ago you couldn't pay me enough to eat a mushroom.
Another thing about me. I'm incredibly scatterbrained. Last night while I was in the midst of finishing off the beef, I was making rice as a side. When it came time to cover the rice, I couldn't find the pot lid anywhere. I knew I had one... I looked in my dishwasher, in the pantry, in my bedroom, by the computer, the kitchen table and the oven drawer. I had no idea where I had left the stupid thing. I gave up and covered the pot with a lid that didn't fit. After I finished plating the meal, I opened the cupboard door to grab a drinking glass, and lo and behold there sat the pot lid. In a cupboard where I keep plates, bowls and glasses, not pots.
Yes, life with me can be crazy... but it's never boring.
3 comments:
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
A heavy, 9- to 10-inch enameled skillet
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon good cooking oil
3 tablespoons minced shallots or green onions
1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper
2 1/2 pounds filet of beef; the tenderloin butt and the
tail of the filet are usually used
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cooking oil, more if needed
1/4 cup Madeira (best choice), or dry white vermouth
3/4 cup good brown stock or canned beef bouillon
1 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch blended with
1 tablespoon of the cream
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons softened butter
Parsley sprigs
Sauté the mushrooms in a heavy skillet in hot butter and oil for 4 to 5 minutes to brown them lightly. Stir in the shallots or green onions, and
cook for a minute longer. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper,
and scrape them into a side dish.
Remove all surrounding fat and filament from the filet and cut it into
2-ounce pieces, about 2 inches across and 1/2 inch thick. Dry thoroughly
on paper towels.
Place 2 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon cooking oil in the skillet and
set over moderately high heat. When the butter foam begins to subside,
sauté the beef, a few pieces at a time, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side to brown the exterior but keep the interior rosy red. Set the beef on a side
dish, and discard the sautéing fat.
Pour the wine and stock or bouillon into the skillet and boil it down
rapidly, scraping up coagulated cooking juices, until liquid is reduced
to about 1/3 cup. Beat in the cream, then the cornstarch mixture.
Simmer a minute. Add the sautéed mushrooms and simmer a minute
more. The sauce should have a slight liaison (be lightly thickened).
Taste carefully for seasoning.
Season the beef lightly with salt and pepper and return it to the skillet
along with any juices which may have escaped. Baste the beef with the
sauce and mushrooms; or transfer everything to a serving casserole.
When you are ready to serve, cover the skillet or casserole and heat to
below the simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, being very careful not to overdo
it or the pieces of filet will be done rather than rare. Off heat and just
before serving, tilt the casserole, add butter to sauce a bit at a time
while basting the meat until the butter has absorbed. Decorate with
parsley, and serve at once.
I knew none of this about you.
I hear ya on the pot lid, happens to me ALL the time!
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